This time, I am going to make it.

It's been about 8 months since I last attempted to stop drinking myself into incoherence every night. In my case, that means a couple of beers, followed by about a bottle of wine, per day. I know that is nothing compared to some people, who consume the same volume in vodka per diem - the old "Ah sonny, I spilled more than you drank" line. For me, it is too much. I refuse to continue to damage my body and my mind in this manner.

So, no more. I tried to quit before and gave up after a few days. New Year's Resolutions that crashed and burned before long. And most recently, my glowing announcement of Independence from alcohol on July 4, 2001, which sadly fizzled out 2 or 3 days later.

No more.

When I attempted this before, I had no plan, no guideline, no fall-back. I am not religious, so the constant references to God and prayer in the Alcoholics Anonymous publications don't help my concentration or determination one bit. Thankfully, a search on the Secular Humanism websites pointed me in the direction of a number of non-religious ways to achieve long-term sobriety. I plan to node some items related to this in the next few days, in the hopes that it will help other people.

I am now on my 17th consecutive completely sober day, which means I've made it through 16 more days than on previous attempts. I feel great. I am more alert. My thoughts are clear. I can practically feel my poor abused liver regenerating. Even though I don't fall asleep (read: pass out) as easily at night, I enjoy deeper sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed.

Plans for the near future:

- Node some information on secular recovery methods
- Keep a running daylog with thoughts and feelings on this process of detoxification
- Try to stay as focused as I am now.